Potato harvester



June 2, 1931. w. w. FIRMAN 1,808,133

POTATO HARVESTER Filed Dec. 6. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Q William W E'rman A tiorney June 2, 1931. w. w. FIRMAN POTATO HARVESTER Filed Dec. 6, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A itomey W. W. FIRMAN POTATO HARVESTER June 2, 1931.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 6. 1929 M'ZZz'amWE'rmm z June 2, 1931. w. w. FIRMAN 1,808,133

POTATO HARVESTER Filed Dec. 6. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 I v v v v Wiliam WE-r'mcm A iiomey Inventor Patented June 2, 1931 WILLIAM W.'FIEMAN, OEDE'IROIT, MICHIGAN I POTATO HARVEST-ER Application filed December.6, 192 9. Serial No. 412,099.,

The present invention relates to a potato harvester and has forits prime object to provide a wheeled apparatus with means for digging potatoes from the ground and elevating them up into a screenshaker from which they may be deposited in crates or suitable receptacles.

3 Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of a potato harvester of this nature with means where by the elevator and digging means maybe easily adjusted and controlled.

i A still further very important object of the invention resides in the provision of a 1 potatoharvester 'ofthis nature which is comparatively simple in its construction, inex= pensive to operate, strong and durable, compact and convenient in its arrangement of 7 parts, thoroughly efficient and reliable in 20 use and'operation, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed;

lVith the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description pro- 7 ceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter inorefully described and claimed.

In the drawings a Figure l is a top plan view of the potato 3'0 harvester embodying-the features of my invention, v Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, Figure 3'is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough, v

Figure at is an enlarged detail vertical section through the scoop, 1 Y

Figure 5 is an enlargeddetail front ele vation of'the scoop, V

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail side elevation showing the upper end of the elevator and the adjacent end of the shaker screen,

a Figure is a detail section through the tongue taken substantially on the line 7-7,'

Figure 8 is a detail sectionalview of the bracket for the tongue, and A Figure 9-is a sectional view through the endless conveyor.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the letter A denotes generally a body comprising a bottom 5 with side walls 6 and rear wall This body A is supported on a channel iron frame 8 with a pair of iron cross bars'9 in the rear portion thereof from which depend standards 10 in the'lower ends of which are journaled' an axle shaft 11. 55

v Wheels 12 are fixed on the ends of this axle shaft, Brackets 14L depend from the front portions of the sides of the frame 8 and have casters 15 connected thereto. A tongue 16 is pivotally engaged as'at 17 with the front of the frame 8.

An inverted U-shaped casting 18 is adapt.- ed to straddle an intermediate portion of the tongue16 and held in place by a cross pin 19. A bracket20 rises from the top ofthe casting l8. and has'a lever 21 pivoted thereto. A pin 23 extends laterally from'a bracket or standard24 rising from the front .of the bot-tom 5 to engage in 'an opening .25 formed in the lever 21. 7 I

This lever 21 is resilient and may be sprung to the dotted line position shown in Figure l to free itself from the pin 23 so as to allow movement of the tongue.

When it is" desired that the draft animals pull the apparatus straight ahead, the lever is engagedwith the pin thus rigidly holding the tongue 16 with respect to the body.

An elongated rectangular opening 27 is formed longitudinally in the front portion 9 of the bottom 5. Standards 28 rise from the bottom 5 tothe rear of the opening 27 and have a shaft 29 journaledin their upper ends. Elevator frame sides 30 are rockable on the shaft 29 and extend down through the'opening27. v r

A shaft 31 is'journaled between the lower ends of the sides 30. Sprockets 32 and 33 are mounted on the shafts 31 and 29 respectively and have trained thereover endless chains at on which is fixed an endless belt 35 having cross cleats 36 on the outside thereof.

Between the'bottom ends ofthesides 3O isfixedascoop S comprising a bottom blade 37 the rear end of which extends upwardly 95 andrearwarldly at an acuteangle indicated at V 38.- Side plates 39 rise from the blade 37 and a. beater structure 40 is j ournaled between thejside plates. A stubshaft 42 is journaled on one of the standards 28 and is operatively 1 connected with the axle shaft 11 by a chain and sprocket mechanism 43. Gearing 4A operatively connects the shaft 42 withthe shaft 29. A chain and sprocket mechanism 45 operatively connects the shaft 29 with the beater 40 and rotates it counter clockwise so that the potatoes are separated from the dirt and thrown onto the elevator.

It will therefore readily be seen that when the machine moves forwardly thus'turning the rear axle counter clockwise as inFig. 2, it causes the operation of the endless elevator and the beater in clockwise direction, so that potatoes scooped up on to the lower end of the elevator will be brought by the elevator up through the openings 27. i v I In order to raise and lower the elevator and the scoop I providea pair of brackets 50 having ears 51 rockably engaged with the sides adjacent their lower ends so that the brackets 50 extend inwardly across the endless elevator and terminate in upwardly directed ears 52 with which the lowerend of the link 53 is pivotally engaged as at .54.

The upper end of this link 53 ispivotally engaged as at 55 with a lever 56 rockably mounted on a standard 57 rising from the bottom 5 and the free end provided with a pin 58 to extend through openings inanother standard 59 rising from thebottom.

' One standard 57 is located to one side of the opening 27 while the other standard 59 is located to the other side thereof-aswill be clearly seen in Figure 1. The .drivers seat 60 is located on the bottom at the rear of the standard 59 so that this lever 56 may be conveniently controlled. a r

Brackets 63 rising from theirear portion of the bottom 5 rockably support a shaker screen 64. A connecting rod 65is pivotally engaged with the front end of the shaker screen which is pivotally engaged with a crank 66 on the shaft 29 so that as this shaft 29 rotates the shaker screen is. oscillated and will cause all the dirt to be shaken from the potatoes and cause the potatoes to drop into a receptacle mounted in the container 67 at the rear end of the bottom. a 1 c It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of this invention details of construction, and in the combinaQ tion and arrangement of parts may be re-. sorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a potato harvester of the class described, a wheeled frame, an elevator mechanism mounted in the frame, means for raising and lowering the elevator mechanism, a scoop on the lower end of the elevator mechanism, a beater in the scoop, .a shaker screen at the rear end of the elevator, means for rockablymounting the shaker screen, means operatively connecting the elevator with the wheels of the wheel frame, means operatively connecting the elevator with the beater and means operatively connecting the elevator with the shaker screen, said beater being rotated in a direction opposite to that of'the ground wheels for separating the potatoes from the dirt and throwing them onto the elevator. 1

2. Draft means for a potato harvester for comprising a tongue pivotally engaging with the front end of the'frame, a lever, means for pivotally engaging the lever with an intermediate portion of the tongue, a standard rising from the frame, and having a lateral pin adapted to engage in an opening in the lever. I p

, 3. In an apparatus of the class. described, a wheeled frame, an elevator mechanism, means for rockably mounting the up-perend of the elevator mechanism, "brackets engaged with the sides of the elevator mechanism and meeting over and adjacent the lower end thereof, a link engaged with the inner sides of the brackets, a pair of standards rising from the side portions of the frame, a lever pivinsuring the straight ahead progress thereof 7 oted on one of the standards, said link being pivotally engaged with an intermediate portion of the lever, and means on the lever for engaging the other standard to hold the lever against displacement from adjusted position after the elevator has been raised or lowered. 4. In an apparatus of the class. described, a wheeled frame, an elevator mechanism, means for rockably mounting the upper end of the elevator mechanism, brackets engaged with the sides of the elevator mechanism and meeting over and adjacent to the lower end thereof, a link engaged-with the inner end of the brackets, a pair of standards rising from the side portions of the frame, a lever pivoted on one of the standards, said link being pivotally engaged with an intermediate portion of the lever, and means on the. lever for engaging the other standard to hold the lever in adjusted position: after the elevator has been raised-or lowered,.a scoop on the lower end of the elevator. j Inv testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

. WILLIAM FIRMAN, 

